At this point in history, Shakespeare is either turning in his grave or guffawing with abandon. A playwright with an ear to the public’s pulse could do nothing less after seeing James Ijames’ version of his revered tragedy, Hamlet. Besides critical acclaim and hilarious approval from East Coast audiences, FAT HAM also won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 2022. Initially filmed for the Wilma Theatre in Philadelphia in 2021, FAT HAM proceeded to the Public Theater in 2022 and finally to Broadway in 2023 – all the while garnering praise, applause, and laughs galore. In 2024, Geffen Playhouse proudly presents The West Coast premiere of FAT HAM.
Marcel Spears and Nikki Crawford – Photo by Jeff Lorch
Tongue in cheek, playwright James Ijames sets the stage for FAT HAM: “A house in North Carolina…could also be Virginia, or Maryland or Tennessee. It is not Mississippi, or Alabama or Florida. That’s a different thing altogether.” When considering time, Ijames asserts that “the American South, to me, exists in a kind of liminal space between the past and the present with an aspirational relationship to the future that is contingent to your history living in the South. All that to say…I’m writing this play from inside the second decade of the 21st century. This world aesthetically sits anywhere in the four to six decades preceding the current moment.”
Billy Eugene Jones, Nikki Crawford, Benja Kay Thomas, Marcel Spears, Adrianna Mitchell, and Matthew Elijah – Photo by Jeff Lorch
The audience is introduced to the back patio of a house probably built in the 1970s which is clearly being prepared for a celebration. Juicy (Marcel Spears) and his buddy Tio (Chris Herbie Holland) are chatting while Tio tries to mimic certain porn positions currently displayed on his cell phone and Juicy jazzes up the back yard with leftover decorations from every holiday in the year. And let’s not forget that ubiquitous and ominous center piece, the largest backyard barbecue cooker in town. But is this a wake (Juicy’s dad’s picture is prominently displayed center stage) or is this a wedding? Or perhaps really a séance? Probably all of the above, since Juicy’s deceased father was just shanked in prison, where he was serving a term for murder. Days after his demise, his brother Rev (Billy Eugene Jones) marries Pap’s widow Tedra (Nikki Crawford) – probably a cause for celebration. And Pap’s ghost (a dual role for Billy Eugene Jones) does show up for the festivities – with the demand that his son Juicy avenge his murder by Uncle Rev.
Marcel Spears and Billy Eugene Jones – Photo by Jeff Lorch
Ijame’s irreverent take on Shakespeare’s tragic tale will sneak in questions of identity, kinship, responsibility, and authenticity as a sensitive but morose Juicy struggles with his family history of trauma and violence. Here and there, Ijames also sneaks in some truncated monologs about life and choices as Juicy addresses the audience a la Hamlet. The author poses complex questions – made all the more powerful because we’re seeing a Southern African American family plagued by generational brutality and violence dating from the days of slavery. At the same time, the comic tragedy often proves hysterically funny as a fat, gay black kid interacts with his beloved, very sexy, and very protective mother and his childhood friends including Opal (Adrianna Mitchell) and Larry (Matthew Elijah Webb), adult children visiting with their mother Rabby (Benja Kay Thomas) done up in her best go-to-Sunday-meeting regalia, Yes, these characters do seem reminiscent of Will’s original play – but they have lots of twists and turns in their conversion to modern-day players.
Nikki Crawford and Marcel Spears – Photo by Jeff Lorch
Skillfully helmed by Siddeeq Heard, FAT HAM is also blessed with a terrific cast who make this group of party-goers come alive. Be prepared to laugh your way through the circuitous paths each of the folks take – and be prepared for some fascinating changes in the narrative as Juicy tried to break the family cycle of trauma, aggression, and secrets. FAT HAM is a must-see production which is entertaining, funny, and sometimes even profound. You’ll love the ending!
Nikki Crawford, Billy Eugene Jones, Marcel Spears, Matthew Elijah Webb, and Adrianna Mitchell – Photo by Jeff Lorch
FAT HAM runs through May 5, 2024, with performances at 8 p.m. Wednesdays through Fridays, at 3 p.m. and 8 p.m. on Saturdays, and at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. on Sundays. The Gil Cates Theater at the Geffen Playhouse is located at 10886 Le Conte Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90024. Tickets range from $39 to $129. For information and reservations, call 310-208-2028 or go online.
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